woe

[woh]

noun

1. profound grief or distress.

   His woe at the terrible news was almost beyond description.

   Synonyms: melancholy, wretchedness, trial, tribulation, anguish
   Antonyms: joy

2. an affliction or cause of distress.

   She suffered a fall, among her other woes.

interjection

1. an exclamation of grief, distress, or lamentation.

woe

/ wəʊ /

noun

1. literary,  intense grief or misery

2. (often plural) affliction or misfortune

3. misfortune will befall someone

   woe betide you if you arrive late

interjection

1. Also: woe is me. archaic,  an exclamation of sorrow or distress

Word History and Origins

Origin of woe¹

First recorded before 900; Middle English wo (interjection and noun), Old English wā (interjection) ( wellaway ); cognate with Dutch wee, German Weh, Old Norse vei; akin to Latin vae

Word History and Origins

Origin of woe¹

Old English wā, wǣ; related to Old Saxon, Old High German wē, Old Norse vei, Gothic wai, Latin vae, Sanskrit uvē; see _wail

Idioms and Phrases

Idioms

1. woe betide, trouble or punishment will come upon (someone) if they take the specified action: Also woe to

   Woe betide anybody who laughed or continued to talk while he was playing.

   Rules about court reporting are strict, and woe betide those who fall foul of them.

   Woe to the pedestrian who gets in a cyclist's way.

2. woe is me, (used to lament one's own distress, affliction, or trouble, sometimes humorously).

   Woe is me, for I am ruined!

   Please don't get the wrong impression, thinking this is a “woe is me” story.

Synonym Study

See sorrow.

Example Sentences

"This government is deep in crisis," Farage said, attempting to take advantage of Labour's woes.

From BBC

This is the gift “I Know This Much Is True” offers, a lengthy, lyrical vivisection of intertwined lives made of epic woe.

From Salon

Of course a player becoming a free agent isn't without its woes.

From BBC

Amid her legal woes, Huger was absent from the “Real Housewives of Potomac” Season 9 reunion.

From Los Angeles Times

Mass demonstrations, fuelled by cost-of-living woes and public frustration with the political elite, first erupted in Jakarta on 25 August to condemn what many viewed as excessive pay and housing allowances for parliamentarians.

From BBC

Related Words

• adversity 
• anguish 
• burden 
• calamity 
• catastrophe 
• disaster 
• gloom 
• hardship 
• headache 
• misery 
• misfortune 
• pain 
• tragedy 
• trouble